Log loader for sawmills



May 8, 1962 Filed Spt. 14. 1959 G. E. ROSS LOG LOADER FOR SAWMILLS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 zzvwzzvrozz. W E, Ross.

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A TTORNE-Y y 8, 1962 G. E. Ross 3,033,250

LOG LOADER FOR SAWMILLS Filed Sept. 14. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 r'ln IN VEN TOR.

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ATTORNEY y 8, 1962 G. E. ROSS 3,033,250

LOG LOADER FOR SAWMILLS Filed Sept. 14. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Guy E. Ross.

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Ar'ranueY States Patented May 8, 1962 3,033,250 LOG LOADER FOR SAWMILLS Guy E. Ross, 4206 Huron St, North Branch, Mich, assignor, by decree of distribution, to Lepha M. Ross Fiied Sept. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 839,721 1 Claim. (Cl. 143-92) This invention relates to sawmills and more particular- %y a hydraulically operated log turner and jammer or oa er.

In conventional sawmills there is normally provided a longitudinally reciprocal carriage for transporting a log into the saw teeth. A skidway is arranged at right angles to the path of the carriage, the logs being transversely positioned across the skidway for mounting upon said carriage.

The present jammer or loader has for one object the transporting of the log from the skidway onto the carriage.

It is another object to provide a cooperating log turner whereby once the log is positioned upon the carriage, hydraulically operated means may be employed for effecting incremental rotary movements of the log on the carriage for proper positioning of the log for the cutting action.

It is a further object to employ the present jammer or loader in conjunction with the log turner for retaining the log from rolling back off the carriage bunks when the turner'arm has been lowered for a second turning stroke.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a sawmill a combined log jammer and turner.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sawmill with carriage and sk-idway schematically shown and with associated log jammer and turner.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present log jammer and turner.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary partially sectioned view of the present log jammer and turner.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partially broken away and sectioned side view of the log turner.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates one form of sawmill, including parallel carriage tracks 12 and extending at right angles thereto skidway 11 supporting logs L. Longitudinally reciprocal carriage 13 as hereafter described in conjunction with FIG. 3 is movably mounted upon said track and is shown in its return position with respect to the present log jammer or loader 15 and log turner 16 within and mounted upon base 14.

Saw 17 is secured upon rotatable shaft 18 journaled at 19 and carrying pulley 20 interconnected with pulley 22 on the driveshaft of motor 23 by pulley 21. Additional pulley 24 on shaft 18 thorugh belt 25 drives pulley 26 on hydraulic pump 27 delivering fluid under pressure to jammer and turner manual control switch 28. Said switch selectively supplies pressure fluid through the respective conduits 29 and 30 which connect the opposite ends of the respective hydraulic cylinders 4155 for the jammer and turner as hereafter described.

Within the hollow base 14 as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, there are provided a pair of additional supports 31 ancho-red at 32, and in cooperation with base 14 mount the framework for the log jammer or loader 15.

This framework includes bottom supports 33, front supports 34, rear supports 35 and the forwardly and upwardly inclined top supports 36, suitably secured together to provide a rigid assembly fixedly anchored upon base 14;, as a part thereof.

Loader arm 37 at its forward end is pivotally mounted by transverse pin 38 to the forward end of framework elements 36 employing cotter pins 39. Bunk bracket 46 on arm 37 is secured upon the free end and in normal or inoperative position of said loader arm is located within skidway 11 and below the top surface thereof as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A suitable motor 41, which in the present embodiment is a hydraulic cylinder, is positioned between inclined supports 36 of the framework and swivelly mounted thereon by transverse pin 42. Reciprocal piston rod 43 projecting from cylinder 41 carrying the usual piston at its inner end, is swivelly joined to loader arm 37 by transverse pin 44, FIG. 3, at a point spaced rearwardly of pivotal mounting 38.

Conduits 29 from control switch 23, FIG. 1, are also shown in FIGS. 2-3, as respectively joined to the opposite ends of cylinder 41 for selective direction of hydraulic fluid thereto, controlling reciprocal movements of rod 43.

Accordingly, by operation of switch 28, the loader arm 37 and connected bunk bracket 4t) will rotate through an are up to the substantially upright position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, for transporting a single log L from the skidway onto carriage 13.

Said loader will stay in the position shown to retain the log upon the carriage during the log turning operation hereafter described, and until fluid connections are reversed at switch 28, after which loader arm 3'7 returns to the solid line position shown in FIG. 3. Motor 41 may be pneumatically operated.

Mounted upon the pair of additional supports 31 within base 14 are respectively a pair of upright slide bracket frames 45 whose bottom flanges are secured thereto at 46, there being suitable reinforcing spacers 47, FIG. 2, interconnecting said frames adjacent their upper ends.

Inclined reinforcing bars 48 shown in FIG. 2, but omitted for clarity from FIGS. 3 and 4 further anchor the slide bracket frames to the supporting structure. Inclined slide block brackets 49, FIGS. 34, are secured upon the interiors of frames 45 at their upper ends by fasteners 50, each bracket having an adjustable stop screw 51 for regulating the extent of sliding movement of the respective pair of slide blocks 52 movable within said slide block brackets.

Slide blocks 52 are mounted upon opposite ends of pin 53 which is journaled transversely through the rear end of operating tube 54, which connects the turner arm 64 as hereafter described in connection with FIG. 5.

A second motor is employed which in the preferred embodiment is a hydraulic cylinder 55 swivelly mounted at its lower end at 56 to bracket 57, secured at 58 within the main support base 14. Said cylinder extends up wardly and rearwardly at an acute angle and includes the conventional reciprocal piston rod 59 pivotally joined at 60 to the adjustable sleeve 61 secured on tube 54, or operating am.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 6, the forwardly and downwardly inclined tube 54 at its forward end projects at 62 into the lower end of the upright channel 64 and is pivotally connected thereto at 63.

Channel 64 as shown in FIG. 7 constitutes a turner arm and carries a series of log engaging teeth 94 whose forward ends are pointed at 95, said teeth being pivotally mounted and movable in a vertical plane upon transverse bolts 7 secured by nuts 98, and with suitable spacers 99 interposed within channel 64 for properly locating said teeth for operative turning engagement with log L, FIG. 5, on upward projection with the turner arm 6 under the control of tube or other power operated member.

Guide means are provided for the upward reciprocal movements of said turner arm. For this purpose a pair of inwardly directed channels 67 are arranged in oppose spaced relation and at their lower ends are pivotally mounted at 63 upon and against brackets 69 secured at 70 to base 14.

Guide rollers 65 are journaled at 66 upon opposite sides of turner arm channel 64- towards its lower end. Said rollers are movably positioned within guide channel 67 whereby the reciprocal compound movements of the turner arm are controlled. Portions of guide channels 67 cooperatively and supportably engage mounting brackets 69.

Upper end portions of channels 67, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, are further supported and guided for some pivotal movement with respect to mounting 68, FIG. 6, by tie rods 72. These are pivotally joined respectively at 73 to brackets '71 on channels 67. Rods 72 extend angularly downward and rearwardly and slidably through the outturned ends 75 of guide brackets 76 secured at 77 to frames 45. Cotter pins 78 extending through end portions of rods '72, as in FIG. 4, limit pivotal movement of the channel guides 67 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to their supports 68.

Coil springs 79 are mounted respectively upon rods 72 and are anchored to said rods by the collars 80, FIG. 4, which are adjustably positioned and secured to said rods. The respective opposite ends of springs 79 operatively engage bracket elements 75.

Accordingly pivotal movements of the channel guides 67 in a clockwise direction are yieldingly resisted and cushioned by the springs. Upper portions of tube 54 are reinforced by the metallic strap 81 shown in FIG. 2, but omitted for clarity in the other views.

Referring to FIG. 2, the conduits 30 within base 14 are connected as shown in FIG. 1 to control switch 28, whereby under the control of the operator fluid is selectively delivered to opposite ends of turner arm operating cylinder 55. With pressure fluid directed to the lower end of cylinder 55 piston rod 59 moves angularly rearward and upwardly as shown in FIG. 3.

Initial movement of said piston rod effects a corresponding rearward movement of tube 54 with its mounted slide blocks 52 guidably moving rearwardly within slide block brackets 49 until the said blocks engage adjustable steps 51. This initial rearward movement causes a counterclockwise pivotal movement of turner arm 64- with its rollers 65, FIG. 5, being the center of rotation. This tips the turner arm so as to be inclined outwardly and upwardly towards log L to be turned from the upright position shown in FIG. 3.

Further movement of piston rod 59 in the same upward direction causes the forward end of tube 54 to move upwardly effecting a corresponding movement of turner arm 64 connected thereto. Here the pivotal movement of tube 54 is around the swivel mounting 53 between blocks 52 at its rear end with respect to slide block brackets 49.

The above described first rearward movement of tube 54 rotates turner arm 64 so that some of the teeth 94 are moved into alignment with log L upon carriage 13. Rear portions of the teeth cam against the rear surface of channel 64 so that the teeth are held rigidly in the position shown against further pivotal movement in a counterclockwise direction. By this construction, however, on downward movement of arm 64, the teeth are free for rotation in a clockwise direction.

In operation, the log turner 16 is hydraulically activated with intermittent reciprocal compound movements as described until the log is in proper rotated position upon carriage 13.

In normal sawmill operations it may be desired to rotate the log 90 degrees for further cuts or alternately 180 degrees from an initial position, squaring of the log so that it may be sawed into planks. This may require a series of reciprocal movements for arm 64.

Manual operation of the turner and loader control switc 28 thus selectively controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to one end or the other of motor 55 through conduits 3t) effecting the desired reciprocal movements of piston 59.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, carriage 13 is mounted upon parallel spaced rails 12 secured upon rigid supports 83 with cross braces 84. Bracket 32 on the forward end of jammer framework 33-34 fixedly interconnects the turner and loader unit to the carriage support for establishing an immovable relationship therebetween.

Carriage 13 has depending flanges or mounts 85 upon which are journaled flanged rollers 86 or wheels which are supportably mounted upon tracks 12. Suitable mechanical means are employed, though not shown, for reciprocating the carriage.

Carriage 13 has bolted thereon at 88, bunkplate 87 with transverse guideways 89 for transverse lateral adjustment of log support or bunk 90 with upright log retainer 5%. Transverse racks are secured or formed upon the undersurface of bunk 90 and are operatively engaged by drive pinions 92 on shaft 94' journaled and mounted upon the carriage.

Shaft 94' fixedly interconnects a plurality of said pinions arranged in spaced relation thereon for cooperative engagement with corresponding racks 91'. Right angular handle 93 on said shaft, when turned, etfects a corresponding rotation of said pinions and corresponding transverse adjustment of the log support bunk 96 for properly locating the log with respect to the saw shown in FIG. 1 for operative engagement therewith upon reciprocal sliding movements of carriage 13 upon track 12.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claim.

I claim:

In a sawmill having a longitudinally reciprocal carriage for mounting a log, and a skidway extending adjacent and at right angles to said carriage substantially coplanar therewith; the improvement comprising a log loader consisting of a hollow base mounted centrally below said skidway adjacent said carriage, an upright hollow framework on said base including a pair of parallel spaced upwardly inclined elongated mounting supports, a loader arm at one end pivotally mounted between said supports adjacent their upper ends arranged adjacent said carriage and extending rearwardly, the free end of said arm when inoperative lying below said skidway and rearwardly of a log transversely mounted thereon, a hydraulic cylinder swivelly mounted at one end upon and between lower end portions of said supports remote from said carriage, a reciprocal piston rod projecting from said cylinder inclined upwardly towards said carriage and swivelly joined to said arm intermediate its end and rearwardly of the pivotal mounting of said arm, movement in one direction of said piston rod rotating said arm in an arc so that its upper end movably projects within and above said skidway transporting said log along the skidway onto said carriage, movement of said piston rod in the opposite direction Withdrawing said arm to its initial inoperative position, a control valve adapted for connection to a source of pressure fluid, conduits interconnecting oppo site ends of said cylinder with said valve for controlling reciprocal movements of said loader arm, a bunk bracket mounted on and adjacent the free end of said arm operatively engageable with said log, said bunk bracket consisting of an elongated plate spaced forwardly of the leading side of said loader arm in lateral alignment therewith and at one end secured to said loader arm intermediate its ends, and converging toward the free end of said loader arm and fixedly secured thereto, a stationary support for said carriage, and bracket means fixedly interconnecting said framework and carriage support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 12,353 Wilken May 30, 1905 6 Hill Apr. 7, 1885 Thomas Jan. 2, 1900 Corry et a1. Oct. 22, 1901 Foss et a1. Oct. 27, 1908 Tangemann Jan. 12, 1954 Gurries et a1. July 27, 1954 Keeney et a1. May 17, 1955 Maynard Oct. 2, 1956 

